Monday, June 06, 2005

Dolphins Snouts Spongeworthy

"'Cultural evolution, including tool use, is not only found in humans and our closest relatives, the primates, but also in animals that are evolutionally quite distant from us. This convergent evolution is what is so fascinating,' said Kruetzen.

Researchers suspect the sponges help the foraging dolphins avoid getting stung by stonefish and other critters that hide in the sandy sea bottom, just as a gardener might wear gloves to protect the hands."

James Dobson immediately declared the findings heresy; and the Kansas Board of Education has introduced a competing explanation into the curriculum: that female dolphins are shamed by their immodestly exposed pointy parts and are simply trying to appear more innocent before God.